Tickets are already on sale for many of the bigger summer music festivals. Coachella is happening very soon, too! I wanted to share some camping tips with you so that you don't have to worry about being that person sleeping under a tent that has fallen in on itself or gets a puddle of rain inside, rendering the whole weekend a "wash"! If you're looking for ideas on What To Wear To A Festival, check out this post here!

MUSIC FESTIVAL TIPS

YOUR HOME BASE

A good tent is the first step to ensuring that you have a good night's sleep, and that your personal belongings are safe. I have never had anything go missing from my tent or campsite, but if you want to be safe, get a small lock for your tent zippers and DO NOT lose the key :) I also like to toss my cooler in the car or under the tent vestibule while I am off seeing music or away from the campsite.

Also be sure to set your tent up properly. Make sure to set your tent up ahead of time in the yard a time or twi before the big weekend! My dream tent (above), is one you can stand up in, comfortably fits two cots, and has a bit of extra room for your clothing bags and food bin. You don't need to spend a fortune, but if you get yourself a better tent that that crappy $50 one from a big box store, you can keep it for years, rather than tossing it after the zipper breaks from your first use.

An Ez-Up Shade Tent is incredibly valuable for its' shade factor. It's also a great place to stake out your camp site, and is like a little living room. Hang tapestries, and even set up your tent under it for lots of extra shade and sleep time in the mornings! Make sure to stake the tent down, so it isn't affected by wind. Sometimes, staking it down doesn't always help - a huge storm crumpled my Ez-Up like it was made from aluminum foil, because we had used the provided bolts to attach the top fabric part. So, just check the weather if possible. Most of the time they will be fine :)

SIT PRETTY

A good Camping Chair is very important, since chilling at the campsite is a big part of a festival camping experience. Make sure it has a cup holder :) We love our Alite Chairs so much and they pack down so small. Make sure to stow these away when you leave your campsite though, they might just "walk away" if you leave them out. They weigh nothing and are super nice.

A regular camping chair ($20 or so) will do just fine! And, feel free to bring a couple of extra chairs to sit around your campsite, to invite friends and neighbors over for a drink!

SLEEP WELL & IN COMFORT

The North Face - Cat's Meow Sleeping Bag

A good sleeping bag is key to any good night's sleep. I have had my Cat's Meow Sleeping Bag from The North Face for a while now, and always fall sleep right away when I get into this thing. It's pretty warm, so if you're going to be at a festival that is also warm at night, bring a couple of flat cotton sheets and a lightweight blanket. Something that's washable preferably, and nothing that grandma made, it may get dirty or be used on the ground for a nap in the afternoon.

GET A COT - It's not likely that you will be near a power source, so instead of a clunky air mattress that can easily pop, do yourself a favor and get a foldable cot. You will get the best sleep of anyone in your camp! Here is one cot option (shown below), and the ones we have are old school, from Go-Kot, but work super well. If you get good rest, then you will be a happy festival goer!

SHOWER UP!

If you're lucky enough to be attending a festival with decent shower facilities, I would recommend bringing a mesh bag that you can hang in the shower with you, so that you can bring the essentials with you, and hang them from the shower bar or hook. I use these ones by Sea To Summit for every adventure and LOVE them!

GoToobs are amazing! I take them with me on every road trip or camping trip, and they would hold more than enough shampoo, conditioner, face wash, and body wash for a long weekend festival! They're SO well made and you can even wash them in the dishwasher if you need to.

DON'T FORGET SHOWER SHOES!

Foam flip flops are amazing as shower shoes, and then you can wear them at the site, or walking around to shows, if you wind up liking them. I absolutely LOVE my Teva Flip Flops, and can walk a long way in them, on many surfaces. They last forever, I get a new pair every year or so.

FOOD & DRINK

A good cooler is the basis for making or breaking a festival. You can always buy food from vendors at a festival, but I absolutely try and avoid eating greasy, yucky vendor foods that make you feel so gross! Hey, the comforts of home are not always at hand, so eat and drink wisely :)

Most festivals do not allow glass containers, so plan accordingly. Don't bring glass bottles of beer, bring cans. Don't bring a glass bottle of liquor, pour it into a plastic container with a tightly sealing lid. Bring LOTS of mixers if you like mixed drinks. I would also recommend bringing a slew of airplane bottles of liquor, so you can easily bring them with you as you walk around to shows, and visit campsites! It's easy to find a mixer most of the time.

DRINK TONS OF WATER!!!

Other tips...

Keep your campsite clean! A few times throughout the day, and one of the first things you can do each morning is gather trash and food stuff, and toss it into a garbage bag. Lots of festivals are encouraging recycling (yay!!), and will provide a few clear trash bags for you to keep plastics and cans in.

Have FUN!!! Enjoy :)

Summer festival season is upon us and I have a cute DIY tutorial for you to try. I made these for about $14, and all I had to buy was the boots and the fringe trim. If you already have boots, a glue gun, and ribbons and trims, these could be practically FREE to make! These are such a cute addition to your summer festival wardrobe and outfits. If you make some, please comment below with a link to your photo!

SUPPLIES (YOU MAY ALREADY HAVE THESE)

1 Pair of Boots - Glue Gun & Glue Sticks - Scissors - Boho Ribbons and Trims (about 3/4 -1 Yard each) - 1 Yard of Fringe (Not Pictured) - 1-2 Skinny Belts That Can Be Cut In Half

Next, lay your ribbons and trim over the boots to see where you want them. I glued my ribbon on much lower than this photo shows, this way I could add fringe to the top.

Below, you will see the interior side of the boots. Cut the trims so they line up half way around the back. These raw edges will be covered by a final layer of ribbon for a finishing touch.

Below, you will see the ribbons/trims after I hot-glued them all on. The raw edges will soon be covered with ribbon. I used a cheap, low-heat hot glue gun, and it worked super well on these materials! My boots were made of an ultra-suede like material. If you are using leather boots, you may need to use a fabric-ready, 2 part Epoxy, or E-6000.

Next, cut your belt in half, and decide where you want to position the buckle. The outer side of the boots will look best, as you will see in my first photo.

Do a test placement of the belt, and then mark where the new buckle hole needs to be, so the belt fits around the boot. Cut the new hole, so that the belt fits snugly around the bottom of the boot, but not too tight. I used an awl from a multi-tool, but a sharp X-Acto Knife would also work. Be super careful not to cut yourself or the work surface. (See below)

You will see that I also added the ribbon to go up the side of the boot. Glue this in place, making sure to only glue half way up. The fringe will also go under this ribbon!

Make sure your ribbon covers any rough edges of the ribbons. (See Above)

Let's get your fringe ready! This fringe really makes the boots super cute! Cut your yard of fringe in half, and position it around the top of the boot. Cut the fringe to fit all the way around each boot. Hot glue ribbon to the top of the fringe, for a cute boho look.

Glue the fringe around the top of the boots. Then, hot glue the ribbon over your fringe, and fold into the inside of the boot, for a finished look. I cut a few of the fringe pieces off, that would be under the ribbon, but that's optional.